As Trump rises, Cruz holds a summit in New York

FILE - This two picture combo of file photos shows Republican presidential candidate, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, left, and Donald Trump. Two of the most outspoken Republican presidential candidates on illegal immigration, Cruz and Trump, are set to talk. Cruz, who requested the Wednesday meeting, told reporters at the Capitol that Trump "is bringing a bold, brash voice to this presidential race." (AP Photo/File)

Photo: STF

WASHINGTON - Attaching himself to a rising star in the Republican constellation, Texas U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz met Wednesday with billionaire mogul Donald Trump, the maverick political idol who has been riding a wave of popularity to the top of some polls in the 2016 GOP presidential primary.

"I'm a big fan of Donald Trump," Cruz said. "I've sat and visited with Donald before when he was a candidate for president. I'm going to sit down and visit with him now as a candidate for president."

Both candidates left it to others to guess what their meeting in Trump's New York office was about, though their campaign organizations waved off speculation about a joint Trump-Cruz ticket. Cruz spokesman Rick Tyler described it as a casual social visit.

"Trump was gracious," he said. "It was a friendly meeting."

Cruz, speaking to reporters on Capitol Hill, minimized the significance of the encounter.

"I've gotten together with quite a few of the 2016 presidential candidates," he said.

Aides said Cruz had requested the meeting before Trump entered the race last month and surged in the polls. It was apparently rescheduled several times because of their busy travel schedules. They eventually found time Wednesday in New York, where Cruz already had plans to sit down with CNBC'S John Harwood at the CNBC Institutional Investor Delivering Alpha conference, a gathering of New York hedge fund managers.

Staffers for both candidates attended the Trump Tower meeting, which lasted about 45 minutes. One aide, speaking on background, said Trump asked a lot of questions, seeking out Cruz's views on a number of issues.

Cruz has stood out from the crowded presidential pack by defending Trump amid a torrent of controversy over remarks the reality TV star made in describing Mexicans who immigrated illegally as criminals and rapists.

Trump also gave $5,000 to Cruz's Super PAC earlier in the year, helping the Texas Republican and his allied political organizations amass a $51 million war chest for his presidential bid.

In the Republican field that puts Cruz behind only former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who has raised more than $114 million. By comparison, former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and his affiliated PACs have raised a total of $18 million, only $1 million of that going directly to his campaign committee, according the federal election reports filed Wednesday.

But while Cruz is posting impressive fundraising figures, some analysts see Trump cutting into the Texan's support in the most conservative wing of the Republican base.

In an interview Wednesday on MSNBC's "Morning Joe," Trump said that while Cruz sought the meeting, he gave no indication of what was on the agenda.

"Ted Cruz called me, and I don't know why I'm meeting him, to be honest, but I do have respect for him," Trump said. "I respect the fact that, along with a couple of others, he came out and he came out very strongly and agreed with what I said on illegal immigration … I like him. He called me, he wanted to meet, and we are going to meet. What it's about, I have absolutely no idea."

On his way to New York, Cruz lavished praise on the outspoken businessman, describing their encounter as a meeting between kindred spirits.

"I think Donald Trump is bringing bold brashness to this presidential race," Cruz said. "One of the reasons you're seeing so many presidential candidates go out of their way to smack Donald Trump is they don't like a politician who speaks directly about the challenges of immigration. They don't like a politician who speaks directly about sanctuary cities, about law enforcement, and safety and security issues that are raised. Indeed, many of the politicians who are running out of their way to smack Donald Trump have for years or even decades been vocal advocates of amnesty.

"I for one am grateful that Donald Trump is highlighting these issues that are critical issues," Cruz continued. "They're issues I've been fighting for a lot of years to enforce the law, to stop illegal immigration, to stop the Obama administration's practice of releasing criminal illegal aliens into the population."

Kevin Diaz came to the Houston Chronicle in February 2014 with more than a decade of experience covering Washington. Before that, he was the chief Washington correspondent for the Minneapolis Star Tribune, where he got his start in journalism in 1984 as a night cops reporter. During his tenure in Minneapolis, he won awards for his coverage of gang crime and city hall. He also taught public affairs reporting at the University of Minnesota, where he received his Master’s. After a stint at the Washington (D.C.) City Paper, Kevin went back to the Star Tribune, where he won national awards for articles on globalization and immigration. He also covered the 9/11 terrorist attacks from Washington and New York. Born and raised in Italy, Kevin has reported from Italy, Brazil, Mexico, and Cuba, where he covered Jesse Ventura’s 2002 trade mission. In 2003, he filed daily Iraq War dispatches for McClatchy Newspapers from the U.S. Central Command in Qatar. In 2006, he covered the presidential election standoff in Mexico. He also has covered Washington for the Anchorage Daily News and the Idaho Statesman.